Capture of the South Sea
The Capture of the South Sea was one of the major turning points in The Great Divide, as it showed that Aedwin was capable of countering, if not defeating, the mighty naval prowess that was the Lauchette Navy. It helped stem the tide of Lauch reinforcements and supplies that were being transported into the Hales. The Capture of the South Sea Buildup The reclamation of the South Sea was high on the list of priorities for the Alliance of the Hales. It was the main way that the Lauch transported supplies and soldiers into the Hales. It was also a way for some supplies to make it into Aedwin, however, supply ships were being stopped and raided by either pirates or the Lauch, which prevented food and weapons from reaching Aedwin leaving some unarmed and unfed. After Greenfields was occupied by the Lauch, it became necessary for Aedwin to build a navy and fight back, as they could not fight them on land, and with Greenfields being occupied they would likely not be getting food soon. With Lauchette supply ships going through the South Sea laden with cargo and riches, piracy hit a new peak. People stole ships and went off into the sea to steal food, riches, and weapons to further arm themselves. However, all coins have two sides, and this also resulted in Aedwin ships being raided, furthering the need for a well-stocked navy. Battles The First Battle of the South Sea The first battle occurred not far from Aedwin, as Lauchette ships attempted to blockade Aedwin to prevent any supplies from being brought in by pirates or other merchant ships. The current naval commander of Aedwin demanded that all of the ships be brought out in an attempt to counter the naval blockade. Some ships were still being built, so small merchant ships docked at Aedwin were quickly outfitted with ammunition such as arrows and javelins. Once the Aedwin flotilla had reached the blockade, the newer Aedwin ships spread out in an attempt to distract other boats, raining arrows and fire upon the Lauchette ships. This distraction allowed the smaller merchant ships to attack and board Lauchette ships, allowing them to pillage and take prisoners, scuttle the craft, or take control of the ship and begin attacking others around them. After about an hour of fighting, multiple Lauchette ships began to retreat, resulting in a decisive Aedwin victory. There was many losses on both sides, and many ships were destroyed. The Lauchette ships that had been stolen during the battle were looted, then scuttled afterwards. The Second Battle of the South Sea The next battle of the South Sea occurred much further out, in the middle of the sea. A Lauchette fleet was approaching Aedwin in hopes of taking revenge for the loss of their blockade around Aedwin, but many Aedwin boats were on patrol, allowing Aedwin to quickly respond to the threat. Smaller boats were sent back towards Aedwin to deliver the news and prepare a second counter offensive, in the event the Lauch fleet broke through their patrols. The Lauch fleet was quite a large fleet, with new boats and technology being tested within it. Aedwin patrol boats mostly consisted of small outfitted merchant ships, with the occasional newer naval boat. The second counter offensive, still being prepared at Aedwin, consisted of mostly the new ships constructed for the Great Divide. The Lauch fleet easily broke through the patrols, though losing a few of their newer boats to boarders, they had suffered minimal casualties. The Aedwin fleet deployed very soon after the patrols were deflected, and also took heavy casualties. The Lauch fleet turn around soon after a large amount of Aedwin ships were destroyed. Though a decisive Lauch victory, they suffered a very mild amount of casualties. Category:Conflicts